Wolves, Witches and Watchers oh my!

The familiar heady scent of rich fertile earth, dense pine undertones and tantalizing blooming flowers streamed through my nose as I walked through the forest surrounding my hometown of Amber Wood. Women here may wear gowns, travel by horse and cart and be prone to being burnt at the stake for witchcraft but I still had fond memories of the village as it is the only place I have ever called home. The trees shone a deep shade of yellow in the fall, covering the forest with a crisp amber carpet I had loved to walk over as a child- hence deriving the town's name. Right now however branches were bursting a vibrant green- jungle like foliage soaking up the blinding sunshine. Winding leaves and moss rode up tree trunks, hiding the bark like an all encompassing monster. A mock smile covered my lips. I was the real monster here- deadly, efficient and now I was home. A white butterfly fluttered up to me, circling around my head in greeting, I couldn't help but laugh out loud, clearly it hadn't got the memo. I smirked, falling into a lightning fast run that left it dumbfounded in my wake; the forest air hit my face like cool dense silk. As a girl of 8 and 10 years, I had just begun my journey to early womanhood but I can wholeheartedly say I have had quite the ride to reach my current age. At the tender age of 7 I was sent to my grandmother Gya, all the way to The Dark Forest on the foothills of the mountains lining Amber Wood's horizon. The towering, ominous rock disappears into the clouds- shielding inhabitants of this town from what lays beyond. At its feet, in the heart of the treacherous wild woods uncharted by civilized man, my people live. They train their young, multiply and bask in the primal traits that make up our kind- in the safety of the pack. We are beasts by nature- calling us a wolf would be like calling a shark a goldfish. No, we are a predictor all unto our own, we don't just roam the forest and Earth- we own it. Humans are allowed to live, breed and advance in towns as it suits us, as does their ignorance. Blessed with long, seemingly endless life, strength and enhanced senses, we have traits of the wolf yes but are inexplicably more. Werewolf they call us, in hushed tones over campfires and bedtime stories to frighten little children. All exaggerated fairytale indulgence. I'm human in appearance- that's the beauty of it and truth be told- silver bullet or not, we could kill you even if it pierced though our skin. "Are we cursed?" I asked Gya the first day I stayed with her. She made no qualms about setting me straight on what I was and what was expected of me. Every shred of innocence I held evaporated that cold dreary day- it seemed to endlessly rain there- something about the land sloping up the further you traveled from Amber Wood to the mountains. "If being superior to every being on earth is cursed then yes- we are. Another way to look at it is being blessed, we evolved this way just like every other creature- god wants us to exist". She took in my doubtful expression. "Stop thinking you're unnatural girl, better born a monster than pray to one". Oh Grandma. I shook my head. Thinking back she did have a point. The sad truth was we were both of those things- unnatural and a monster. My savage, blood thirsty violent side sickened me every time it rose up in ecstasy. Every Full Moon I would get the urge to hunt and taste unwilling meat. Vastly more than my day to day struggle to stick to the pre-cut, shop kind. The chase aroused me, made my blood race and was the only time I felt truly alive. Others embrace what we are with both hands, they are sociopaths in my mind; lacking remorse and guilt over their violent tendencies- choosing human flesh instead of animals as game- just for the thrill. I felt hollow inside on the best of days. People like Gya got on with it, took their nature in stride each day of their lives like it was the most natural thing in the world; me- the helpless whine of a deer or bore I sank my teeth into made me feel one step closer to my future in hell when all this was over. It was that sound that would snap me out of my bloodlust and stop me finishing off the cuscus. Gya, not missing a trick, knew of my resistance and required proof of my kills- so I had to bring the animal home with me. She fed us on it for days, I subconsciously found the biggest ones, the most challenging. If I refused to have more than a bite it wouldn't irk her in the slightest. "Girl, you can complete your training now or three years from now, it makes no difference to me. In the end it's more work for you" she bit off a large chuck of my most recent kill, sitting in front of me beautiful and young with her porcelain white skin. She reminded me of a regal queen with her golden blond hair and wise brown eyes- all apart from the red juice trickling down the side of her generous lips as she heartily enjoyed the meat. Seeing me watching she smirked darkly, wiping it out of sight in a flash. God that woman didn't have a maternal bone in her body, and I was raised by her, groomed to become her. She felt it worthwhile to tell me about the birds and the bees the same day she told me what I was, seeing as she had me sitting there already, and didn't mince words with that either. I guess that was the gateway to my extensive vocabulary of swear words to date- she didn't bother with boundaries in most things. In many ways I'm lucky; Gya's training and no bullshit attitude hardened me in ways I was sure I'd benefit from now that I was amongst civilization once again. Calling Gya intense was an understatement. As the head of our house, which consistently produced females, she had to be. She wolves are taken by Rogue packs and as such are in short supply. As a woman you had to be twice as tough and sharp to survive your criminal male counterparts. The sound of clinking, chopping and chatter broke me out of my thoughts. Back in the forest I slowed down my run- finally arriving where my nose had led me. His scent hadn't changed over the years- if anything it was more potent, male and stirring. The feelings it was bringing out inside of me was making my senses go haywire. I found myself breathing it in with unnecessary deep breaths. My scattered thoughts dissolved into nothingness the moment I caught sight of him- mouth opening agape. I drank in his tall, strong build chopping wood amongst his peers. He was in full glare of the sun, making every detail of his person extremely hard to miss. Not that I would have with my eyesight. Sweat glistened his lightly tanned skin, darkening his already black chest hair which peppered his broad muscular torso in the perfect amount. Equally dark brown hair glittered alluringly in wet black strands over his head- shading his face and forehead. The sight held my attention as a whistle blew. I closed my mouth. It must be break time. He threw his axe to the side with a loud thud, giving the impression it weighed the same as Thor's mythical Hammer. Moving with a powerful grace he walked towards the shade; a white cotton vest lay halfway there, discarded on the grass and he bent down to claim it. I still hadn't seen his face yet, although so far my view of his body had me frozen to the spot. I knew I had stopped breathing but was quite certain I was still alive if my wild heartbeat was anything to go by. In the back of my mind I was uneasy at my uncharacteristic behavior; never before had I been pulled into a stupor like this, for my kind, especially She Wolves, a moment's distraction could get you killed- it was imperative to keep those clogs sharp and constantly ticking. Conversation broke out as others migrated towards the trees- seeking shade and rest. I watched as he slid his vest on, muscular arms and chest flexing by the gesture. The material clung to him, stretched over his hard torso, dipping into the grooves making up his washboard abs. Dark thoughts flickered through my mind as I drank in his toned muscular physique. He clearly made excessive use of his body for manual labor- forcing it to comply and change to his needs. This couldn't be the scrawny boy I played, fought and got up to mischief with. We were inseparable as children. I could pick up his scent in a 100 mile radius back then. Even today after a decade apart I knew exactly where he was in the whole of Amber Wood, and yet my nose and eyes were conflicting with what I was seeing. He had grown- and grown good. I squirmed inside at the admission. Facing me more fully he lifted a flask to his mouth and drained it. I saw those unmistakable deep grey eyes framed within iconic black lashes- it was him- Lucian. I sucked in a breath- holding it in. Feeling an odd warm fluttering feeling scatter to my extremities from deep in my stomach- it stirred my cold dead heart. It had been a while since I felt anything, Gya had made sure of that. One thing shone through in that moment and that was this was an extremely bad idea. I have to get the f**k out of here. As if sensing my presence and resolve to leave he stopped drinking abruptly, lowering his flask as he looked straight at me. Good god those eyes- they cut straight through me like knives. I was the hunter yet there I stood- like a stunned stupid animal under that penetrating, cold, hard gaze of his. The ferocity of it disturbed me. What had happened to the happy, mischievous, smartass young man I expected to find?, why did the darkness and melancholy I claimed as my own cover him as well?. Had I not known him before and been so f****d up now I'd never have noticed it on another and would have assumed it was just the way he was. "Lucian my boy!" a rough voice called out. He turned, momentarily distracted, and I left.